Finn Burning
by Moonlit Ice
Summary: He dug his nails into the wood and dragged himself forward, the numerous burns on his arms causing him to cry out in pain. "Flame Princess! Come back!" he screamed, but he couldn't see her past his tears.
1. Just the Two of Us

_Note: I preserved much of the grammar/ speech patterns of Adventure Time characters. Some characters may have an incorrect way of speaking, as this was true to their character._

"Finished," Finn announced. He stepped back and placed his hands on his hips, proudly admiring his work. Propped against the exterior side of the tree house was a fort, made of mattresses and pillows, gifts from Soft City. (They had returned the Soft People's gold, which was stolen by the Gut Grinder, who was actually Sharon, the mayor's wife from Spiky Village, who did it because… well, that's a story for another time.) Anyway, they had been gifts. The fort was pretty tall, _and_ topped with a demon skull. For good measure. He had been working on it since right after breakfast that morning, but his friend Jake had been too lazy to help. Still, it was pretty impressive. "Righteous," he muttered.

Finn turned and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Jake, you butt!" he yelled up to the house. "Get down here and check out my awesome fort!" After some banging and a crash that sounded suspiciously like breaking dishes, the window was thrown open and Jake appeared in the opening. He was a magical dog with the power to stretch, bathed in golden fur that rippled when he decided to change form. Jake had an intelligent air about him, accentuated by big, black rimmed eyes that were set low on his face. His jowls were smudged with vanilla ice cream that had failed to reach his mouth, and he was in the process of licking the rest off his hand, which (at the moment) was shaped like a spoon. But it would only be like that for a short while; since Jake was magical, he could transform his body into any shape he wanted.

"Finn," he paused to lick some ice cream. "What did you want me to see this time?" He looked uninterested.

Finn huffed in exasperation. "I wanted you to see this fort I made. You might as well, as you were too busy being lazy to help." Jake mumbled something to himself and stretched by his neck out of the window. As Jake's neck elongated, he reminded Finn of the taffy they would eat during their many visits to the Candy Kingdom. After a few seconds of his magical workout, Jake was soon able to turn his head and see the fort.

"Demon skull… nice touch," he said. Just as quickly, as if to get it over with, he announced, "Finn, I'm leaving."

"What? Where?" Finn demanded. He had rarely been apart from his best friend, and even then, it was for short periods.

"Lady and I are heading to the beach. I thought you probably wouldn't want to come, because of… you know, your ocean problem." It was true. The ocean was one of Finn's few fears, and the thought of the endlessly rippling, salty water made him queasy.

"Do you have to go to the beach? Why not somewhere else… like the enchanted forest?"

Jake sighed. "Finn, me and Lady go there almost every day. You know that! She says she wants to do something special, just the two of us. And you know Lady… once she's made up her mind, she's gonna stick to it." He paused. "I'll only be gone for a few days. Uh…." he counted on his fingers. "One… two… three. Three days. I'll be back on the day after tomorrow."

_Just the two of us, _Finn mouthed, frowning. Lady Rainacorn was Jake's girlfriend, and Finn knew that he should probably leave them be. Still, he was often jealous of how much time she got to spend with Jake. Jake was _his_ best friend, after all. On the bright side, however, Finn had a certain person he wanted to see, and this seemed like it would be the golden opportunity. Jake couldn't tease him as much this way. Not that he really minded being teased, as Jake was bloops at it, and it was obvious that he needed it sometimes. "Well, I guess I should leave you two lovebirds alone, right?" He laughed uneasily. "You probably wouldn't want me to come anyway." He looked down.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Finn, you're acting funny… Wait, I know! It's Flame Princess! You're going to spend the whole time with Flame Princess!"

Finn's cheeks flushed bright red. "Uh, well maybe if spending _time _with her while _you're_ gone is the same as when you're here, and I'm actually here myself, then…"

Jake grinned. "Just don't try Tier 2 again. Remember what happened last time?" Finn pursed his lips and stared into the distance, his face not betraying the storm of emotions within his mind.

_Standing in front of the house he built for Flame Princess, reading a poem he wrote._

_She looks so cute. _

_The poem burning up and her laugh sounding like the peal of bells._

_She looks so cute when she laughs._

_Her fire growing brighter as he stopped laughing and stares into her eyes._

_She looks so cute when she's not laughing. _

_Him stepping toward her, leaning forward as he closes his eyes, coming closer… closer… _

"Finn? Jake looked worried. He was standing in front of Finn in his natural dog form, eyeing him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Finn managed. It was so unfair. The first time he had worked up the courage to kiss a girl, she turned out to be "physically unstable." Flame Princess's elemental matrix had burned so hot, she plunged to the Earth's core and nearly died there. If it wasn't for Finn's rash decision to dive down after her, she wouldn't be here now. Finn shivered. He wouldn't try to kiss her again if there was any risk of hurting her.

"Well, I packed while you were building that fort. Lady's waiting for me at the edge of the forest." Jake reached with an arm and patted Finn on the back. "Goodbye, Brother."

"Goodbye, Brother." Finn repeated. Jake nodded and stretched back upward and through the open window. He emerged with two small suitcases and tied each loosely to a front leg. With one final wave, his body swelled until he was about the size of an elephant, and Jake took off bounding toward the horizon.


	2. Burned

_Sorry for taking so long to upload this next chapter! I'm staying with relatives at the moment and things can get a little… hectic. Anyway, enjoy!_

Finn tucked a stray lock of blonde hair into his hat and shouldered his adventuring pack. He took a deep breath and his calm expression broke into a grin. Jake wasn't here, so he could spend as much time with Flame Princess as he wanted. She didn't mind, but Jake would eventually start calling him "loverboy" and other embarrassing names. But not today. Finn felt stupid, grinning like some clown, but he was just… in a good mood.

He shimmied down the ladder from the upper story to the lower story and bounded across the wooden floor, yanking open the front door and treating his lungs to a deep breath of crisp, afternoon air. Bright light warmed his face but quickly became uncomfortable, as if the sun was trying desperately to burn him. _Flame Princess loves these kinds of days, _Finn mused. But now wasn't time for reflecting on the weather. Now was the time for fun.

He crouched and planted his palms firmly on the ground, gathering his energy, preparing to spring. Every muscle tensed. Then, with an explosion of speed, Finn took off sprinting toward the nearest hill. He laughed, but the sound was stolen by the wind. As he reached the top, Finn planted his hands on the grass and pushed upward with a burst of energy. His momentum carried him over the crest and he flipped once in the air, hugging his knees and closing his eyes.

He half-landed half-slid down the other side of the hill, nearly falling on his butt but quickly regaining his balance. Finn reached for his sword, pulling it from the sheath that hung at his side. The crimson sword seemed to glow with malevolence. Demon's blood rippled down the blade's ventral surface. It had been a gift to Finn from his foster father, Jake's dad, left for Finn to inherit after the former died.

Finn slashed at an invisible monster, then turned and parried a blow to his right shoulderblade. He feinted at another to his left, then jabbed, fully extending his arm. His sword flicked, disarming the enemy. Finn spun and twisted, and he felt… alive, like this was what he was meant to do. The demon's blood blade felt like it was part of his arm… No, it _was _his arm. Finn was the deadly weapon now. Grinning, he charged at the last monster, faked a slash to the hip, and punched the monster in the face. "Can't forget to use my bod," Finn stated.

He stood there panting, then silently sheathed his sword. Sweat poured from his brow and into his eyes. Finn furiously wiped his face with his wrist. He hoped he didn't smell, or else Flame Princess would…. His eyes widened. "Oh crap, Flame Princess! I totally forgot!" Finn chided himself for being such an idiot, and made up his mind to get to her house as quickly as possible. No more tricks. He took off running, enjoying the burning in his muscles.

Ten minutes later, Finn arrived at Flame Princess's house. There was no way he could miss it; the house he had built for her stood out like… well… an endlessly burning heap of cheap furniture and other assorted wood in the middle of nowhere. But something was wrong. The house was only a pile of furniture, cold and silent. As far as Finn knew, she rarely left, only to visit the Fire Kingdom. She met him at this time almost every day, but she wasn't there. Flame Princess never missed a… date? The word was foreign on his tongue, like a bad piece of food that he would spit onto the table and gross out Jake with. He preferred "hanging out" with his girlfr- wait, that didn't work either. Frowning, he paced around the pile of furniture. He was starting to sound like Jake, that romance-worshipping potato of a dog. Finn shook his head, knowing just what Jake would say about that.

He loved Flame Princess.. That was the problem. He didn't feel ready, didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't even know who his real parents were! He was Finn, the human boy. What could he offer the princess of the Fire Kingdom? She was so powerful, so bright, so… beautiful. And whenever he saw her, his heart would jump into his throat and he couldn't find the right words to say. She made him feel like there was a fire deep within his chest, swelling and pushing and making it hard for him to breathe. And whenever she smiled, the flame grew brighter. She made him grin stupidly for no reason, she made him take baths, she…she… Why was it so hard to admit that he loved her?! Why did she even love him back?

Finn sat down and glared at the "house," frustrated. Sure, he was worried, but not overly. Flame Princess was strong, much stronger than him. She could definitely take care of herself. He sighed and lay on his back, tucking his arms behind his head. Finn stared at the clouds, imagining that they were his favorite things. A treasure map… Jake… his sword… junk food… Flame Princess…. Ugh, why couldn't he think about something else for just one second! Finn tried to sit up, decided against it, and lay back down. His eyes drifted back toward the sky. A cloud that was either Flame Princess's face or quite the gorgeous-looking octopus seemed to smile at him. Finn gave up and smiled back. Then he closed his eyes.

"Finn?"

He woke up with an undignified squeal and flopped onto his side. The sun was shining really brightly in his eyes. How did it get so bright? It was hurting… Wait- it wasn't the sun. The sun can't laugh. Standing above him was Flame Princess, giggling with a hand over half her mouth. Her crimson hair flared upward and crackled in the cute way that it does. The jewel set into her forehead sparkled, and the nearly identical copy of the ruby set in the bodice of her dress glimmered.

"Heh…. hah?" Finn asked, looking up at her. That didn't stop her giggling. She laughed, and it was the most beautiful thing Finn had ever heard. It reminded him of the cold nights he and Jake would spend in the tree house, everything silent but the crackle of the fire. It reminded him of the river he used to dip his feet in when he was a little boy, the water trickling over the rocks. It reminded him of wind rushing through the pines. But most of all, it was so purely _her. _He just wanted to laugh with her, to hug her as closely as he could and never let her go.

"Heh hah?" she asked, grinning down at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" Finn was confused. When did he say that? He stared up at her for a few seconds, then remembered. His cheeks flushed red. He was speaking nonsense again. It was one of those times where his tongue just didn't work correctly around her.

Finn must've looked pretty astonished, because she rolled her eyes. "Let me help you up, hero." She grabbed his hand with her slender fingers to try to pull him up. Pain seared through his flesh, burning his fingers. Finn cried out, and she dropped him and backed away, looking scared. "I'm sorry… I hurt you again, didn't I?"

Finn resisted the urge to scream. With much effort, he managed a "Nah, I'm okay." It sounded pretty fake to him, but Flame Princess sighed in relief and smiled weakly.

"Let me tell you why I'm so late." she sat in the grass next to him, which quickly began to smolder, and Finn felt his heart jump. Flame Princess traced a circle with her finger around a flower, surrounding it with a fiery moat. "I was with Princess Bubblegum."

Finn pursed his lips and stared at the ground. Princess Bubblegum was the ruler of the Candy Kingdom, and he used to have quite the crush on her. She was five years older than him, but apparently that was too old. She didn't like him back.

"Princess Bubblegum…" Finn murmured, a tone of bitterness in his voice.

Flame Princess didn't hear. "She asked me to come. Bubblegum said she could help… with my problem."

"_Flame Princess! Please… I need you to be okay." _

The memory stung Finn's mind. He remembered all too well that she was "physically unstable." After all, he had been the one down in the center of the earth with her, slowly losing oxygen. Finn had been on many adventures during his life, but when she nearly died down there, it had been the most terrifying moment in his life.

Flame Princess took a deep breath. "She says that my elemental matrix is stabilized." Finn felt like he had been hit in the chest with a hammer.

"W-what?" Finn stammered.

"_Flame Princess!" he screamed as she fell, deeper and deeper._

"_Finn! There's no time!" Princess Bubblegum yelled. "You have to-"_

_He grabbed Jake's arm and wrapped it around his waist, then threw himself into the hole, falling as the air got hotter and hotter…_

"After the first time we… you know," she paused, plucking the flower from the ground and holding it carefully in her palm, as if it was made of glass. The blue morning glory looked stunning against the yellow orange of her skin. Seconds later, it burst into flames and shriveled. "Bubblegum said that the explosion of elemental energy was so powerful, it could only happen once in my lifetime. My system couldn't take another overload like that. So my brain is sending signals to my body not to do it again. It's kind of like immunity. Understand?"

Finn had no idea what she was talking about. But he nodded.

"I guess that's pretty much it… Bubblegum went into a bunch of scientific junk after that." Flame Princess gave him a wry smile.

Finn knew from experience that Bubblegum could delve into _quite _the lecture, but scientific junk wasn't what he was thinking about.

"So you can… I mean we…"

She nodded. Finn felt his cheeks redden. He turned to face Flame Princess, whose eyes were fixed on the ground, her face frozen with an unreadable expression. This was the moment he had been waiting for! So why was he so afraid? She was stable. But was he? Was he really ready for this? Flame Princess was staring at him. He looked back.

This time, he didn't look away.

Finn leaned forward, throwing aside all his doubts. She was his world. She was all that mattered. His heart pounded in his throat, and the fire in his chest smoldered and pushed, shortening and quickening his breaths. Hot blood rushed through his veins. The world around Finn disappeared. No longer was he sitting on a hill in the Grass Lands. No longer did he have to eat, have to sleep, have to breathe, because he was with _her! _She was his sun, the light of his life. Finn closed his eyes. He could sense warmth radiating from her direction, gradually growing hotter until his lips met hers.

The only fiery explosion was in Finn's heart. Flames coursed through his body, burning in his muscles and boiling his blood. It whispered in the deepest corners of his brain, speaking of the ancient cycle of creation and destruction. He could feel each breath she took, and every exhale was like blowing oxygen onto a fire. The inferno licked his skin, hissing as it met the perspiration on his palms and evaporated. Their lips briefly parted as Finn sucked in a breath, but he kissed her again, holding her cheek with his hand.

He didn't smell the sweet scent of burning flesh.

He didn't see the smoke curling from his hat.

He couldn't have seen it if he tried.

Flame Princess tried to pull away, but Finn held her even tighter, not wanting to let go. She thrashed and yanked her lips away from his, and Finn wondered why. Didn't she like him? Why did she look so scared?

Wait a minute… he smelled hamburgers.

"You're hot…" he muttered, just as he fell backward and the world went black.


	3. Candy King

_Sorry for taking so long to get this posted! I've been freakishly busy, and my internet connection sucks right now. The reference to Cyclops tears in this chapter is from Season 3, Episode 23 of Adventure Time, called Another Way. Enjoy!_

The wallpaper was pink.

Of all the things to wake up to, it _had _to be pink. Finn rubbed his eyes and yawned, noticing that the ceiling was the same color. Where was he? He groaned and tried to pull himself upright, which turned out to be a mistake. His skull felt like someone was railing on it with a hammer. Upon closer examination, Finn realized that his head was wrapped in bandages. _Man, what happened? _he wondered.

He was in a large room, square in shape and decorated in that ugly shade of pink. Hot pink carpet stretched from one end of the room to another, on which was situated a simple, wooden rocking chair. A white door was set into the wall on his left, and to the right of the door hung a framed picture of the Candy Kingdom. Was he really in the Candy Kingdom? How did he get here? He couldn't remember. And his muscles burned like he had just won the world record for most push-ups at one time.

Just then, he caught sight of a sword propped against the wall to the left of the door. It was blood red and recently polished, gleaming brightly. Demon's blood pulsed down the length of the blade. _My sword, _he realized. But what was his sword doing here? Finn's eyes traveled downward until he reached where he was lying. "Whoa," he tried to say, but all that came out was a raspy whisper. Finn had been tucked into a huge bed, which was piled with blankets and smothered by a comforter in a deep shade of violet. Directly to his right stood a bare wooden desk, and to the left… was Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum.

She looked just like he had always remembered her- tall, thin, and with a never-ceasing air of regality about her that seemed to demand respect. Her skin was the gentle shade of… well… bubblegum, and her hair reminded Finn of strawberry taffy. Placed atop her head was the golden crown of the monarch of the Candy Kingdom, and she wore a strapless sky blue gown that Finn thought was… really pretty.

_No! _He wished he could slap himself. He was over her!

"Well hello, my hero," her melodious voice cooed. Princess Bubblegum was sitting in a wooden rocking chair not unlike the one across the room, smiling brightly. "How did you sleep?"

"Uh…" Finn croaked hoarsely. Why did his throat hurt so badly? He coughed. "I mean, what are you doing here? Why is my head all bandaged up?"

She laughed, and Finn felt his heart jump. _Stupid, stupid, _he chided himself. She was too old for him! And a hereditary monarch, if that didn't make her even _more _unreachable.

"What do you mean? I'm supposed to take care of you." she answered, leaning toward him. "Finn, you were hurt pretty badly. But you shouldn't worry; you're safe now."

Finn was getting more and more confused. "But why are you here?"

Bubblegum smiled, flashing her brilliant, white teeth. "You mean you don't remember? Honey, I hope the confusion from your… mishap wears off soon. It would be such a disappointment if you didn't remember."

"Confusion? Remember what?"

"Finn, you're my hero. You've always been my hero." she paused. "And now, you'll be my hero forever."

"What?!" Finn exclaimed. None of this was making any sense. " I… don't remember… this isn't happening…"

"This isn't happening?" Bubblegum asked. "Look and see what's really there, Finn. And then tell me who you really are." Before he could protest, she grabbed the comforter and threw it aside.

Finn looked down and gasped in surprise. He was wearing a luxurious crimson robe fringed with white fur that seemed to smother him. It must've been expensive. Hanging from his neck was a heavy, golden chain that seemed to glow. A sparkling, silver pendant dangled from the chain, catching Finn's eye. He cradled the smooth oval in one hand, slowly turning it over with the other. Engraved into the shining metal was a simple crown sitting atop a spiral. _The symbol of the Candy King._

"No…" he whispered, dropping the pendant. "No, this isn't real! It can't be!" he yelled. Princess Bubblegum only smiled wider.

"Of course it is, honey," she leaned over and stroked his cheek. "You're my king now. We rule in peace and justice, and our citizens adore us. This," she gestured to the room around her, "Is your kingdom."

Finn shook his head. He couldn't have married Bubblegum. It just didn't seem right to him. "Princess… I loved you. I really did. But you didn't love me back. I can't tell you how many times I tried to show you that I wanted to be with you, but you just turned away. And now I've moved on. I met someone else."

Bubblegum's eyes flared angrily. Finn flinched, afraid that she would hit him. But she didn't. Her gaze was trained on the rocking chair at the other end of the room. "Oh. Her again." she spat.

"Who?" Finn asked.

"_Her!" _Bubblegum snarled. "That fiery witch! I thought that after all that had happened, you would shake off this moronic obsession and accept what's real and what's not!"

Finn sat up, ignoring the pounding in his head. "Hey, I don't know who think you are, calling Flame Princess a witch, but-"

"Finn," her tone was dangerously calm. "You know why you're lying in bed? You know why you're covered in bandages?"Princess Bubblegum wiped a tear from her eye. "She burned you, Finn. Flame Princess burned you and left you for dead. It was only by luck that I saw the smoke and reached you in time."

"But-"

"Finn, she's evil. She used you! "

_'You wanna hug?' Finn asked._

_Flame Princess smiled. 'Yeah.' She stepped forward._

'_Whoa, whoa, whoa!' Jake hollered, jumping between them. He produced an especially large roll of tin foil from behind his back. 'Just in case,' he explained. Finn groaned and turned in slow circles as Jake wrapped him in the foil. _

'_Okay, that's enough.' Finn wobbled awkwardly toward Flame Princess, who ran and enveloped him in a whopping hug. He laughed and let her hold him, feeling safe in her arms._

"Finn! Are you even listening? She doesn't love you!" Bubblegum shouted.

"No," he replied.

"What?" she asked.

"No," he repeated.

Bubblegum stood up. "Finn, Flame Princess been convicted of attempted murder of a monarch. And you know what we _do _with people convicted of attempted murder of a monarch in the Candy Kingdom?" Finn was silent. Bubblegum paused, seeming to relish the words.

"We hang them."

Something inside Finn snapped. Flame Princess couldn't be dead. She couldn't. He remembered all of the fun times they had together, all of the smiles they'd shared. Flame Princess would never try to hurt him. She loved him… and he loved her. He was sure of that now. And all of a sudden, Finn understood.

Ignoring a sudden burst of pain from his skin, Finn threw aside the remaining blankets and stood. "Honey," Bubblegum began.

"I'm not your 'Honey,' Bubblegum. And I'm not the Candy King, either." Finn took a few painful steps past her, his eyes trained on his sword. He reached to grip the handle and nearly collapsed, but took a shaky breath and lifted the demon's blood blade. Instantly, he felt empowered, like the weapon was part of his body.

"Finn, what're you-" Bubblegum's eyes widened. "No!"

He started on the bed. Holding the sword above his head, Finn brought his arms down, cleaving the sea of violet in half. He stumbled along the wall, ripping the wallpaper and plaster in half with the edge of the blade. Bubblegum looked horrified. "Finn, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" He stabbed the picture of the Candy Kingdom, and the glass exploded, a shard embedding itself in Finn's robe. His side dampened with blood, Finn limped to the rocking chair in the corner, chopping it into thirds with the sword. He could feel his vision growing gray and fuzzy around the edges. Gasping for breath, Finn turned toward Bubblegum.

"You wouldn't," she began.

"I wouldn't hurt the real Bubblegum. But you're… not… real!"

With one last burst of energy, Finn threw his sword at her. It spiraled through the air, humming with power.

"Guards!" she screamed, but the blade froze midair just before it reached her- and the whole room began to shake. The striped wallpaper crumbled onto a terrified Bubblegum, paralyzed mid-shriek. Pieces of the rocking chair flew across the room, clanking a sickening drum solo on the wall. Finn stumbled, falling face first onto the carpet. The world rumbled and quaked, throwing him violently against the wall. He groaned and stared up at the ceiling, watching as it collapsed on top of him, forcing the air out of his lungs until…

He woke up for real. This time, he was lying on his side. Finn felt like crying in relief, then pain. His head was throbbing, just like it had in his "dream," and he ached like he had just run a marathon. It was almost like he was still dreaming, but this time he could hear people talking. And he couldn't see clearly. Blurred figures gestured wildly in his field of vision, and he wondered what all the commotion was about. He listened carefully, and could make out a few words.

"Nothing we can do,"

"Drugs won't sedate him,"

"Pull the plug?"

Finn tried to enthusiastically yell, "Hey, what's up?" but ended up making a squeaking noise not quite worthy of a mouse. One of the figures froze. A female voice asked,

"Did you hear that?"

The others mumbled in agreement. All Finn could do was watch as the personage made its way over to his bed. Their eyes locked. Then the figure emitted a squeal that made Finn want to cover his ears. "He's awake!"

"What? Everyone, out of my way!" A taller woman pushed her way through the small crowd, kneeling beside Finn's bed. "Finn? Can you hear me?"

Finn tried to reply, then furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. His mouth wasn't working! After a few moments, he succeeded in making a few raspy coughing noises, and the woman smiled in relief. Up close, Finn could see that she wore a labcoat that had obviously not been washed often enough. Her eyes twinkled, although they looked hollow and tired in her normally bright pink face.

"You were having quite the hallucination, Finn," Bubblegum stated. "It was pulling you into a coma, one that in your condition would be impossible to escape. We were all scared to death. But you defied the odds again." She gave him a tired smile. "We've all been working to keep you alive, and you survived the worst of it. However, due to the extent of your injuries, there will be complications. Dr. Ice Cream?"

Dr. Ice Cream stepped into his field of vision, and Finn recognized her as the figure that had heard his first feeble squeak. As she was one of the citizens of the Candy Kingdom, she had the body shape of a chocolate ice cream cone. But she couldn't be counted out for it; Dr. Ice Cream was one of the best physicians in the Land of Ooo. "Finn, you have suffered serious second and third- degree burns, especially on your face and in your throat. Most of them are third-degree, so it's normal to feel little to no pain."

She was right. Finn could feel a slight, tingling sensation in his limbs, and a spot of sharp, burning pain on his cheek, but other than that (and the malicious pounding in his head) there was no pain. "You're incredibly lucky that you haven't been blinded," she continued. "If your vision is impaired, it will most likely be that way for the rest of your life. Your mouth took the worst of the damage, so it may be difficult to eat or breathe."

Finn shook his head, knowing that he wasn't going to be impaired for the rest of his life. He had an idea, crazy and brilliant, but still an idea. With a huge amount of effort, he lifted a hand from under the sheets to find it bandaged. He made a writing motion in the air, then pointed at his mouth, then shook his head. After two more repetitions, Bubblegum snapped her fingers. "I got it! He has something he wants to say, but he can't say it! Be right back." She flung open a door at the end of the room and took off down the hallway.

Another person stepped forward to talk to Finn. He recognized her as Nurse Poundcake, Dr. Ice Cream's faithful assistant. "You're very lucky we found you in time. Flame Princess came and-"

Finn's eyes widened. _Flame Princess! Where was she?_ _Was she okay? _He thrashed, trying desperately to say something through his ruined throat.

"It's okay, Finn! She's fine! She's fine! Calm down." Nurse Poundcake soothed. Finn stopped moving, if only to listen. "Flame Princess came to the Candy Kingdom and told us what had happened. We found you and had to treat you for shock. It's a little past midnight now, and you've been here since this afternoon. Flame Princess has agreed to wait in the dungeon until you can verify that she didn't attack you on purpose." She paused. "Of course, we all know it was an accident. We're just following protocol. Flame Princess is a mess. She blames herself for hurting you, and if you were to die, then… well, no one knows what she'd do. Oh, she'll be so glad to know that you're okay."

Finn pursed his lips, worried. Flame Princess was very aware of the fact that it was hard for them to be together without hurting each other. Something like this was probably what she worried most about when spending time with him. He was remembering the incident early that day more clearly, and realized that it was his fault that he was burned. When he had kissed her, he was the one that didn't pay attention, didn't want to let go…

Princess Bubblegum appeared in the doorway, holding a small, square chalkboard in her arms. Finn smiled weakly. He and Jake had prepared for the possibility that one of them might be seriously injured. If he could just tell them that, then he might be able to heal himself.

"Let's see what idea you have in that head of yours, Finn," Bubblegum said. She produced a piece of chalk from a pocket inside her labcoat and touched it to the chalkboard. "Give me your hand."

Slowly, he lifted his arm and placed his bandaged hand in hers. Bubblegum held the chalk. "Now, I need you to direct my hand to write what you need to. Can you do that?" Finn nodded, glad that the bandages on his face masked the rush of blood to his cheeks. He moved their hands across the chalkboard, perfectly in sync. Letters began to appear. By the time he had finished, Finn felt like he had just run a mile on his hands.

Bubblegum placed Finn's hand gently under the covers. She studied the words intensely. "Cyclops tears? Finn, there is only one Cyclops whose tears can cure any injury, and he hasn't been seen in centuries. It would take years to find-"

Finn shook his head furiously. He lifted his arm, ignoring the sudden flare of pain from his second-degree burns, and placed his hand back in Bubblegum's. Calling upon every bit of artistic talent that existed within him, Finn drew a simple shape- one that he prayed that she'd be able to understand. When he had completed the drawing, a tree stood below the words. A single window sat in the center of the tree's trunk.

"Finn, what?" She stared at his drawing. Seconds passed. Then, just when he thought she would never get it, Bubblegum gasped. "Finn, do you have Cyclops tears at your house?"

He smiled and nodded, closing his eyes. When he and Jake had broken their toes jumping from birds, (long story) Jake had hired _clown nurses _to kiss their toes until they healed. Finn was freaked out by that, so as soon as he encountered the chapter about the Cyclops in the Enchiridion, he set off to find the monster and heal himself with the tears. He had managed to find the Cyclops, but instead of kindly lending him some tears, the brute had tried to kill him. Finn decapitated the monster, healed himself with its tears, and carried its living head back to the house for Jake. But the dog actually _wanted _the clowns to kiss his feet to heal him. So Finn had filled a vial with the tears he would have used on Jake and hid it in the cupboard for emergencies. Then, he gave the head to the clown nurses.

_I'm a genius, _he thought, right before he fell asleep.

He felt her before he saw her. She was like a miniature sun, warming Finn's face and making him want to sigh in contentment. Yawning, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Flame Princess?" he asked, and clapped his hands over his mouth in surprise. He could speak! And his hands were unbandaged! Finn stared at the perfect, unblemished skin in amazement.

"Finn?" Flame Princess stood at the opposite end of the room. Her back was against the wall, which was painted a gentle sky blue. Beneath her lay simple, white tile, remaining cool and solid beneath the heat of her fiery gown. She ran forward and knelt by his bed.

"Hi," he said, feeling stupid. But by the look on her face, one could've thought she had just won the lottery.

"Oh, Finn you're okay! I was so worried! People told me so many things, I didn't know what to believe."

He smiled, trying to sit up.

"Stop!" Flame Princess warned. "They told me to tell you that even though you're healed, it will still be a few more hours until you've regained all of your energy. You're supposed to stay in bed until then." She glanced at a small nightstand to the left of Finn's bed. An empty vial lay on the wood, labeled **EMER****G****JENSY ONLY. **

"Whatever you say, Doctor," he replied, earning a weak grin from Flame Princess, but her face fell and her grim expression returned. They stared into each other's eyes, each trying to know what the other was thinking. To Finn, her mind was a stormy sea, roiling with the violent upheaval of wave after wave. Minutes passed, and Finn kept his eyes on Flame Princess, never breaking his gaze.

"Finn, oh Finn…" she sobbed, instantly losing composure. "I saw you and I was so scared and I thought that you might be dead, and-"

"Shh." He reached out to touch her cheek, but she recoiled.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, retreating a few feet. Finn dropped his hand, hurt. Flame Princess saw his expression and resumed sobbing.

"Sorry- don't want- to hurt you- never- again," she hiccupped.

"Flame Princess!" Finn shouted. "It wasn't your fault! It… was mine." he spoke softly. "You would never try to hurt me. I know that for a fact. And it was me that didn't want to let go, not you. I was the one that wasn't paying attention, and I should be the one to take the consequences."

"Finn, you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened." She took a deep breath. "I've had time to think- about myself, about all that's happened. And I want you to know that I really like spending time with you." She sniffed. "I remember you said that you'd defy the elements for me. But all I do is destroy. I hurt people, especially those I love. You were hanging onto life by a thread, Finn! And if you didn't have those Cyclops tears, you would've been horribly impaired for the rest of your life."

She choked on a sob, then stared at him so sadly that Finn wanted to cry himself. "Finn, I'll _never _be a normal teenage girl! I'll never have friends, I'll never be able to go anywhere without worrying about burning it all up, and I'll never be able to be with you without hurting you. But you love me too much to see that."

"W-What are you saying?" he asked shakily, struggling to sit upright.

"I'm a monster, Finn. All I do is hurt you! And to see you hurt is like… something is slowly tearing in my core. Finn, I love you. But I'm not going to hurt you anymore. Without me, you'll be happy."

"No!" he yelled. "Flame Princess, you didn't! You can't! You…" his voice cracked.

"I'm going to where you can't find me ever again. It's for the best."

"No! Please, I need you! Don't leave!" he shouted, throwing aside the covers and tumbling onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry…" she said. A single, fiery tear slid down her cheek. It hissed as it hit the tile, burning straight through the floor. "Goodbye Finn."

But he was moving for the door before she was. He half-crawled, half-dragged himself to cross her path, ignoring the sudden drop in energy he experienced. Finn lunged and grabbed her feet, wrapping himself around her ankles.

"Finn! Let go! Please!" she thrashed. He tried desperately to hold on, but his grip loosened as his energy continued to plummet and his vision became fuzzy around the edges. "I'm sorry," she whispered, kicking out and throwing Finn against the wall. Flame Princess disappeared through the doorway, running down the hall. Finn reached for the doorframe. He dug his nails into the wood and dragged himself forward, the burns on his arms causing him to cry out in pain. "Flame Princess! Come back!" he screamed, but he lost sight of her as his tears clouded his vision.

"No!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Come back! I need you!"

But she was gone.

Finn released his grip, hitting the floor. He couldn't breathe. His fingers twitched. She was gone. Gone…

'_You would defy the elements for me?_' _she asked._

_Finn nodded, reaching toward her with open arms._

_She wrapped her arms around him, and he resisted the urge to scream. He couldn't miss this. He'd take a billion fiery hugs if she'd like him._

_She relinquished her hold and he sighed in relief. 'Goodbye, Finn,' she whispered. She turned and sped off, leaving a trail of flames behind her as she sped toward the horizon._

Finn's newly attained burns flared angrily, but he didn't care. He heard voices from up the hallway, but he didn't care about those either. Flame Princess had left, and taken his heart with her. She _had _to be coming back… she just had to. Finn felt gloved hands on his shoulders, trying to grab him. Thrashing wildly, he slapped them away and threw himself forward, clawing his way after Flame Princess.

The hands were more urgent now, wrapping themselves around his waist and lifting him upward. No! He had to catch her before she got too far! Finn yelled incoherently, twisting and jerking and struggling to get free. He did, but the wall was the only thing there to catch him.

His last thought was of the Bubblegum of his hallucination, laughing.

_I told you Finn… I told you. Do you really know what's real now? She left you. But you can still make it right. Come to me, Finn. Be my Candy King. _

And darkness overtook him.


	4. Stranger in the Cloak

_Wow, this chapter was unbearably sad and incredibly fun to write at the same time! I like to think of each chapter as having a personality in song form, and this chapter is definitely Bring Me to Life by Evanescence. How do you sing Adele in a Bronx accent? We'll just have to find out, won't we? Gotta love Flambo! Once again, I have to apologize for the long update, but I have an excuse this time. I've been researching/planning my next story. "Muahahaha" doesn't even begin to cut it!_

"Master Finn?"

Finn groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was lying on his side, staring down at an impatient Peppermint Butler. The little candy citizen was Princess Bubblegum's faithful servant and confidante. His crisp blue suit hugged his peppermint-shaped body, and one eyebrow was raised as he stared at Finn.

"Yeah…?" Finn asked tiredly, propping himself up on an elbow. He was back in the treehouse that he and Jake shared. Looking down, Finn noticed that he had been placed on the couch in the main room and covered in a blanket. He ran his other hand through his hair, realizing that his hat was gone. _Probably sitting somewhere in the ER, _he mused.

The ER.

Flame Princess.

The events of the previous day hit him like a punch to the face. He had kissed her and gotten burnt… he had fought his way out of a deadly hallucination and spent time in the hospital, and he was healed by the Cyclops tears. Finn knew that the accident was his fault, but Flame Princess blamed herself and left where "he would never find her ever again." Finn remembered the sadness and fear in her eyes and felt his own welling up with tears.

"Master Finn, I… I was assigned to stay here and help you. If there is anything you need, I'll get it for you. Also, I thought you might want to contact Jake. We don't have his number on record in the Candy Kingdom, and we're not quite sure where he is-"

"No!" Finn snarled. Taken aback, Peppermint Butler took a step away from him. "No." Finn repeated, choking on a sob. "Please, no." Why put Jake through this misery? If Finn couldn't be happy, he was determined to keep Jake so.

"As you wish. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. Just call if you need anything," Peppermint Butler said sympathetically. As he walked away, Finn curled slowly into a ball, shuddering. Images of Flame Princess danced in front of his closed eyelids. He missed her smile, her laugh… he missed everything about her.

"Flame Princess, why? Why?" he moaned.

_Finn yelped as the fire monster climbed toward the roof of the treehouse. Clutching his picture of Princess Bubblegum, he stuck his head out of the window. _

_ The monster turned, and the picture crumbled into a pile of smoldering ash. 'Hey!' he yelled. 'No one burns my photo of Princess Bubblegum and gets away with it!' _

_Drawing his sword, he prepared to fight the monster. But as the flames reached Princess Bubblegum's liquid pyrotechnics, the fireworks hissed and exploded. Liquid poured down on the beast, and it shrieked, shrinking. Then, a _girl _fell from the roof. _

_Dropping his sword, Finn reached out and caught her in his arms. She looked to be about his age, with skin that appeared sickly pink. Her hair hung limply around her unconscious face. Finn's mouth fell open. She was so… pretty._

He sobbed uncontrollably. She was the light of his life. She was the sun shining in the darkness. But she had left, and it was his fault! Finn screamed in anger at himself, squeezing his eyes shut. But Flame Princess kept smiling at him, tormenting him with her memory. Finn continued to shake, fighting the images of her. He gripped his hair tightly in his hands and hit his head against the couch. Why did she have to leave?! Blinded by his tears, he turned and lost the contents of his stomach on the wood floor. Struggling to breathe, he hid himself under the blanket and tried desperately to forget her. But she kept coming back.

Finn was vaguely aware of how much time passed. It could've been minutes, or it could've been eternity for all he cared. He cried until he couldn't cry any more, and then he just groaned and shook. Peppermint Butler tried to comfort Finn, but when that failed he simply cleaned the floor and returned to his business. Several times the butler tried to help, but every time he was rejected. Finn would occasionally yell something, and the butler would come running, but Finn was only screaming at himself. Life was a cycle that revolved around Peppermint Butler and the torment in Finn's heart, and sometimes Finn wasn't even sure which was which.

"Master Finn?" Peppermint Butler asked. When Finn didn't answer, he continued without blinking an eye. "I'm going to head outside for a moment. Don't leave the house, and whatever you do… _please _don't try to hurt yourself. I've placed enchantments on anything dangerous, so I'll know if you try anything. I really don't want to have to use force to save your life."

Finn didn't doubt him. Although Peppermint Butler looked small and insignificant, he had been the one to open a portal to the Land of the Dead for Finn and Jake. And when Death was about to kill Finn, Finn mentioned a simple "Peppermint Butler says hi," and had his life spared by an awestruck Death. Finn had always wondered what Peppermint Butler had done to earn such high status, but quickly assured himself that it was best not to ask. All in all, Finn was dealing with some pretty mysterious forces, and he had no doubt that Peppermint Butler could easily keep him check.

"Y-yes," Finn croaked miserably. Peppermint Butler nodded once. Finn heard the front door shut behind the butler as he exited the room as he returned to his prison of darkness. Only a few seconds later, he heard a knock at the front door. Did Peppermint Butler decide that Finn couldn't be trusted? Was the "keeping him in check" thing just a big bluff? Finn sighed.

The knock came again, this time more urgently. Why wouldn't Peppermint Butler just let himself in? He didn't have to be this formal.

Someone was pounding on the door like an army of zombies was chasing them. "This'd better be important," Finn grumbled, dragging himself out of "bed." He crawled to the front door, gripped the knob, and gasped in surprise as he noticed Flambo standing outside. The flambit was a fire elemental, slightly taller than Finn's hand and about as wide. His orange, fiery body pulsed and his beady eyes were wide in excitement.

"Yo, Finn! I have something to… whoa. Has someone been beating on your face with a hammer? Yous sure look like it." Finn rolled his eyes.

"Nice to see you too, Flambo."

The flambit grinned. "You know it, Finn." He paused for a moment. "Oh, wait! I came here to tells you somethin'! You know the Princess of the Fire Kingdom , that hot chick?"

The words stung Finn like salt in an open wound. "Yeah," he mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"Well I saws something, Finn. I saws her in a cage, and the Fire Lord there. He has her in a cage, and he be talking something 'bout making her his Fire Lady."

"What?!" Finn exclaimed, instantly alert. "Wait, what happened to Flame Princess?"

"I tolds you, the Fire Lord got her in a cage! I swears it!"

"And I'm assuming that the Fire Lord is in the Fire Kingdom?"

Flambo stuck out his fiery tongue. "Duh." He grinned mischievously. "I knows what you be thinking, Finn."

Finn struggled to his feet. "You thought right. Wait here, Flambo." He stumbled across the room and into the kitchen, leaning on the counter for balance. Peppermint Butler had been making him an omelet. A carton of eggs and half-empty package of bacon sat next to the stove. Finn smiled. Digging in the drawers for a fork, he gripped the utensil and then attacked the omelet, realizing how hungry he was. He hoped that Peppermint Butler would take this as a sign that Finn was alive and well. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed two amazing things on the kitchen table.

Laying on his hat was his demon's blood sword.

They weren't in the ER somewhere! Peppermint Butler had brought them to the treehouse with him! Finn ran to the table and reached for the sword, then remembered Peppermint Butler's words. _I'll know if you try to hurt yourself. _He wondered if grabbing the sword would be the equivalent of him "trying to hurt himself" and if it would alert Peppermint Butler. Finn didn't want the butler to worry, but he had no choice. If Peppermint Butler knew where Finn was going, he would never let him leave the house- and who knows what would happen to Flame Princess then? No, he had to get to her now.

But on the other hand, he really needed his sword. He had no idea what type of dangers he'd be facing in the Fire Kingdom. "Flambo!" he shouted. "We're going to have to make a break for it. When I count to three, we need to run as fast as we can. Ready?"

"You know I am, brotha!"

Finn reached toward the sword. "I am not going to hurt myself," he whispered, hoping that would do something. "One…" his hand hovered over the blade. "Two…" his fingers descended. "Three!" he shouted, grasping the hilt. After a split second of indecision, he grabbed his hat in his other hand, then bolted for the door.

For a fire elemental, Flambo was a great runner. As the two sprinted from the treehouse, Flambo didn't even break a… sweat? If fire elementals could sweat, maybe. The pair made good time, progressing through the Grasslands quickly. According to Jake, the Fire Kingdom was about an hour away- but Jake had his stretch and growth magic to aid him. For Finn and Flambo, it would probably be a little more than two hours. But Finn was used to running; he often ran alongside Jake during their adventures. He actually enjoyed it.

Since Finn didn't have his sheath, he was forced to hold his sword at his side, which wasn't so bad other than the fact that he might accidentally amputate his own leg at any moment. Flambo wasn't helping his concentration, either. The flambit kept singing in his Bronx accent. "But I set _fire… _to the rain! Watched it pour as I touched your face!"

"Flambo…" Finn gasped, coming to a stop and putting his hands on his knees. "What… the glob… are you singing?"

Flambo grinned. "Nothing a poser like yous should worry about."

Finn shrugged and rolled his eyes, taking the opportunity to slip his hat over his mane of blonde hair. "We have to keep moving."

And so they did. The pair exchanged an occasional word or two, and Flambo kept singing, so the hours passed. Before Finn knew it, they had arrived at the Fire Kingdom. Upon seeing it, Finn's jaw fell open. "Whoa," he muttered. The Fire Kingdom was _huge._ Charred and cracked earth stretched for miles. Buildings in shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown were packed densely in some areas and sparser in others. But what really took his breath away were the _flames. _There was fire everywhere. It was like the sun had crashed into the city, or some idiot with a flamethrower had walked into a match factory.

"Uh, Flambo? I don't think I can really… you know, _survive _here," Finn admitted.

"Nah, I just gotta do to yous what I did to Jake. Rasssshheevakessh. Krassshhhana Impyro Esssht Humano!" A series of runes popped into existence in front of Flambo's face, then evaporated. "There. I put the Fire Shield on yous. It should lasts for three hours."

"Whoa… I'm blue!" Finn exclaimed. The Fire Shield had caused his skin and clothes to become the dark shade of ocean blue. Only his sword remained red.

"Yes yous are, Captain Obvious," Flambo muttered. "Anyway, we be on the south side of the city. The Fire Lord's palace is on the east side. Now, we don't see peoples too much in the Fire Kingdom. So you gotta get there without being seen. Gotcha?"

"But… how will I get there without being seen?"

"Ah, that's the beauty part. You will be seen! Just not for who yous are. I'm gonna head down and buy yous a cloak. Then, we're gonna pretend we're normal peoples in the city! Wait here, and don't get into any trouble." Flambo raced off toward the Fire Kingdom, and Finn realized that Flambo had actually slowed down earlier so Finn could keep up with him while running here.

Finn retreated a few feet and sat on the side of a hill opposite to the city so he wouldn't be seen, setting his sword on the ground next to him. He couldn't believe his luck! Flame Princess was really here- trapped, but still here. He would rescue her and tell her why he loved her and make her stay with him. But… Finn wondered if she would just leave him again after he freed her. He didn't know if he could take another breakup like that.

Whoever the Fire Lord was, Finn hoped that he was at least treating Flame Princess with some respect. She deserved it, after all. He sighed. Peppermint Butler had probably told Princess Bubblegum about Finn's disappearance by now. Finn didn't want to ditch the butler, especially after how kind he had been, but Finn had to put Flame Princess above all else. He just hoped that Bubblegum wouldn't decide to send the whole Royal Army after him; that would be bad.

"Yo, Finn! I got it!" Flambo appeared over the crest of the hill, dragging a cloak at least ten times his size. It was brown and looked like it was made of leather.

"Thanks, Flambo." Finn slipped the garment over his head, obscuring his face with the hood and sliding his arms through the sleeves. His whole body was now covered and impossible to recognize. "Let's roll."

The southern gate of the city was a large opening in the wall with guards posted on either side. People milled in and out of the city, many with their faces obscured like Finn. It shouldn't be too hard to get in. Then, something occurred to him. "Oh dang, Flambo, what the glob do I do with my sword? The guards won't let me in if I'm just carrying it like this!"

"Just pretend that you're gonna chop some wood."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "You've got to be kidding me," he said.

Flambo stuck out his fiery tongue. "Yous don't know how to take a joke, just sayin'. Anyhows, I thought of that. Check out the inside of da cloak."

Finn pulled one of his arms deeper into his sleeve until it occupied the same space as his torso. Feeling the inside of the massive brown garment, his fingers brushed a pocket sewn into the leathery substance. It was roughly the same size and shape of his sheath, and would conceal his sword nicely. "Sweet!" he exclaimed as he retrieved the blade from the grass at his feet. Awkwardly, Finn slid the sword past his head and down into the cloak, guiding it with his other hand. He wondered what Flame Princess would think if she saw him doing this. She'd probably call him Finn the Mutant Potato.

Finn smiled sadly. He missed her playful insults. The demon's blood blade slid smoothly into the pocket, and Finn sighed in relief, having managed not to decapitate himself. Flambo, seeing that Finn had managed to hide his sword, coughed loudly. "Okay bro, this is what we're gonna have to do. I'm gonna ride on yous shoulder, cuz it's pretty common in the Fire Kingdom. We gotta walk back aways, then walk in on the road leading to the city. Then, we gotta make it to the Fire Lord's palace without being recognized. Got it?"

"Yep," Finn replied.

"Okay. Now stand there." Flambo strolled to Finn's feet and whispered a short phrase. "Anhka tuli humano svassh!" Runes popped into existence and faded away just as quickly.

And Finn burst into flame.

He screamed and fell onto the ground, rolling to extinguish the inferno. Flambo was yelling something, but Finn was too busy panicking to hear. Seconds passed, and Finn realized that he was still burning and that he didn't feel any pain.

"Finn, ya dingus! I put a Fire Shield on yous, remember?" Flambo shouted, annoyed.

Finn stopped rolling and climbed gingerly to his feet. "Oh, yeah… I remember." He felt blood rushing to his cheeks.

Flambo rolled his beady eyes. "Duh. People would've stared at yous if you _weren't _on fire." With one leap, Flambo sprung onto Finn's right shoulder. "C'mon, fire boy."

The two walked backward and to the left for a quarter of a mile until the main road came into sight. Finn slipped into the crowd of people heading toward the main gates and trudged along with them, making sure to stay silent and keep his face out of sight. The fire people didn't try to talk to him either. Finn couldn't see them very well (other than their flaming feet) and he got the feeling that he didn't really want to. Flambo seemed to be conversing with other flambits, occasionally bursting out in song. Apparently, flambits enjoyed duets, because Finn always seemed hear at least one other voice along with Flambo's.

The pair reached the front gates without incident. Finn allowed himself a quick glance upward and nearly gasped in astonishment. From a distance, the fire guards looked almost normal- but "normal" couldn't be farther from what they really were. The guards looked like seven-foot tall bodybuilders in black armor, with red forearms/forelegs and a crimson web of cracks across their torsos. Cold, scarlet eyes peered out from a rectangular slit in their helmets, and seven black candles stuck out from the top of their heads. Each guard carried a fiery staff, which they would occasionally slam down on the ground and scare a civilian with.

Finn ducked his head and quickened his pace, hoping that Flambo wouldn't do anything stupid. He was in luck; they passed by the malevolent guards without a single "set fire to the rain" or "rolling in the deep." The people as a whole seemed to collectively sigh in relief as they entered the city, and they dispersed to do whatever business brought them there.

"Okay. Follow my directions." Flambo paused. "Right!" Finn turned into a narrow alleyway. "And… left! Wait, no, I meant right! Turn around."

Finn stumbled into a merchant's wares, and the shopkeeper yelled something at him. He hurried away, trying desperately to act inconspicuous. "Dang it Finn, don't make a ruckus like that! And slow down. We're gonna get ourselves lost here!" Flambo chided.

"Uh, for your information, I can't see! Finn whispered fiercely, nearly tripping on something in the road. He would catch the occasional glimpse of a fire citizen as they walked by, but they didn't give him a second glance, so he couldn't have looked _that _odd.

"Well at least you could… left!"

Finn spun and continued down a dark side street. "So how did you know that the Fire Lord had Flame Princess?"

"Oh, wasn't hard, actually. I'm just kinda in on the inner circle, ya see. You gotta get to know to be in the know… you know what I'm sayin'?"

"Ugh, never mind," Finn huffed.

"Wow, you sounds just like- right!" This time, Finn bumped into a fire citizen. She was a little girl, probably about six or seven. Her hair hung in bright yellow pigtails and she wore a simple brown dress.

"Sorry! So sorry!" Finn apologized.

"Oh, it's okay mister. I-" she gasped. "You're not a fire citizen." Her eyes widening in fear, the girl stumbled backward. "You're not a fire citizen!" she shouted. Heads turned, suspicious gazes focused on the stranger in the leather cloak.

And Finn took off running.

"We're almost there!" Flambo yelled over the shouting people. "The fire lord's palace is straight ahead. He's got guards at the front entrance, and probably more later in. We're gonna need to sneak in and find a place to hide."

"Got it," Finn replied, nearly tripping on a stone imbedded in the street.

"I sees an alley where you can hide! Left!"

Finn smacked into a wall and fell backward into a flaming trash can. Seeing that no one had followed him into the narrow alley, he sighed in relief. He snuck a glance at the entrance to the Fire Lord's palace, noting that two guards were stationed on either side of the doorway. Finn couldn't take down one, much less both. "Crap," he muttered. "Think Finn, think…" He stole another fleeting look at the entrance and pursed his lips, then snapped his fingers. "Yes! I've got a crazy sick plan, Flambo. Here's how it goes."

Minutes later, the two were ready to carry the expedition out. "Remember, Flambo- as soon as you scatter the necklaces, you need to act surprised and panicked. Then, you need to keep the act up so the guards pay attention to you. Distraction is key here."

"Yeah! Those guards won't know what hit them! I'm gonna go all gangsta on 'em! Punch to the face, roundhouse to the side! Oh snap, boy!"

Yep… nine- inch Flambo against the seven-foot tall guards. Wonderful.

"No, Flambo. We're not going to fight. Your job is to _distract, _remember?" Finn reminded.

"Oh, a lady like yous worried about little old me? How sweet!" Flambo replied smugly.

Finn slapped his own face with his palm. "Alright. It's now or never." He stood, brushing himself off. With a meager thumbs-up to Flambo, Finn stepped out of the alley and onto the main street. Apparently, word of the "blue man" hadn't spread to this part of town yet. Finn was able to easily blend into the commerce, keeping his head down and not calling attention to himself.

As he got closer to the palace, his astonishment (and trepidation) grew. The building was constructed out of midnight-black obsidian, polished until it glowed. A small flight of stairs separated the ground from the entrance, a doorway framed by lapis lazuli. To both sides of the stairs sat a series of shrubs, all of them half-dead and smoldering. But one shrub had enough leaves left to cover Finn.

He turned left, walking away from the palace gates. Then, as nonchalantly as possible, he stopped and slid behind the bush. Finn crouched, preparing to spring at a moment's notice. _Okay, Flambo. It's up to you now. _He waited… then caught a glimpse of a mischievous flambit edging toward the merchant parked in front of him. The man was overweight and had an annoyed expression on his face, like someone kept flicking him in the butt and then running and hiding. Man, Jake was really mad when Finn did that.

Flambo inched toward the merchant's wares. The portly man was selling jewelry: sparkling silver necklaces, vibrant earrings, and whatnot. Finn made a mental note to buy Flame Princess something if they both made it out of here. _And, _he thought sadly, _if she doesn't just leave again. _Flambo slid around the side of the cart, a grin spreading on his tiny face. Then, the flambit let out a hideous scream that made Finn want to cover his ears and run. "Ahh!" Flambo yelled, bumping forcefully into the cart. The jewelry toppled, spilling all over the street. "Ahh! Someone help me! He's coming for me!"

The merchant's expression was an odd mixture of anger, confusion, and terror. "What? My jewelry! Hey!" Flambo ran wildly through the street with a pair of hoop earrings stuck to his forehead, necklaces flying out from under his scurrying feet and hitting several people in the face. "Run! Everyone, run!" he yelled. People panicked, grabbing desperately at their belongings.

Just then, a pearl necklace broke. Ivory orbs scattered across the ground, causing fire citizens to slip and collapse into flaming heaps. The guards stepped forward, away from the doorway. This was Finn's chance. He sprinted forward, planting his hands on the ground and pushing upward.

"And I set _fire…. _to the rain!" Flambo screeched.

Finn's fingers closed around the lapis lazuli doorframe. His muscles burned as he carried his momentum forward, his hood blowing backward as he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. Narrowly missing kicking a guard in the head, Finn released his grip and flew through the doorway, tumbling to a stop on a velvet carpet and successfully knocking the air out of his lungs. He crawled where he couldn't be seen from outside and struggled for breath. Seconds passed, and Finn gasped. He was lying in a wide room, supported by columns. It was bare except for blazing braziers set in increments throughout the hall.

_Flame Princess. _Finn struggled to his feet and carefully drew his sword. After a split second of indecision, he removed the flaming cloak. A sleeve brushed the velvet carpet, but it didn't burn. Finn assumed that the crimson carpet was enchanted to be inflammable, as important Fire Kingdom citizens probably walked on it often. Gripping his sword, Finn tiptoed to the end of the room. According to Flambo, Flame Princess was being kept in the central chamber. Finn didn't know much about palaces, but he was determined to get there.

The main hall branched into two smaller corridors. Finn turned right, hurrying down the passage. As he walked, he noticed that the palace never seemed to change. There were no pictures, no plants, no people… No wonder the Fire Lord was such an evil dude. He followed the velvet carpet, taking a turn and even doubling back on himself when necessary. Just when Finn thought he was getting close, he heard deep, brusque voices.

"And that's how I lost my job. Pretty sad, huh?"

"Shut up, _please. _I can't hear myself gripe."'

Finn stopped dead in his tracks. He had walked straight into a dead end… and the people were coming closer.

"But seriously Clarence, don't you think-"

"If you say one more word, I will put this staff up your nose."

Two guards rounded the corner. The one supposedly called Clarence saw Finn and yelled, "Freeze!"

"Yeah, freeze!" the second, shorter guard added.

"You're not helping," Clarence snapped.

"Alright, drama queen. Have it your way." The second guard harrumphed and sat on the floor with a clank of metal.

Clarence looked as relieved as an evil guard in black armor could. His cold eyes focused on Finn. "You are trespassing in the palace of the Fire Lord. The punishment: instantaneous death."

The second guard was moving his metal hand like a mouth, copying Clarence's words.

Clarence glared angrily over his shoulder. The other guard froze, then smoothly pretended to adjust a candle on his helmet.

"Any last words?" he lowered his staff at Finn, the tip bursting with white fire.

"I got some last words for ya!" someone called out from behind the guards. And that someone had a Bronx accent.

"Flambo! It's you!" Finn called out, overjoyed.

"Yeah, don't push it, princess." Flambo strode confidently to Clarence's feet. "Well? Yous should be ashamed of yourself! The Fire Lord expects better of his servants."

"Uh… what?" Clarence appeared to be genuinely confused.

"This is Grade-A high quality burning material for the Fire Lord to practice his magic we're talking 'bout! And you was going to incinerate him? Puh-leez! I was just in the middle of taking him to the Fire Lord myself!"

"But he seems to have gotten away from you," Clarence countered.

"Gotten away from me? Wow, it's a sad world yous be living in, pal. I have complete control over him. Well, I kinda like letting him escape sometimes so I can catch him, ya know?"

Clarence's scarlet eyes twinkled. "Really? If you can control him, make him hit himself with that sword he's holding."

Flambo mouthed _I'm sorry_. "You heard him, slave."

Finn raised his sword, pretending like he was trying not to. Then, being careful not to blind himself, he rapped the flat of the blade on his forehead. "No, please! Make it stop!" Finn yelled, smacking himself with his sword.

Clarence was laughing in delight. The other guard was mumbling something that sounded like "why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?"

"Man, I can get used to this. Okay, okay, now make him cut off a limb." Clarence suggested gleefully.

Finn's eyes widened. How was he supposed to fake that? But Flambo covered for him again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your flamin' horses! The Fire Lord has requested that the slave has all of his limbs intact… for target practice purposes. Yeah."

"Oh, come on, just one little finger!" Clarence begged.

"Wow, look at the time, we're already late! I guess we need to be off. Come on, slave."

Finn raced after Flambo, catching a thumbs-up from the other guard out of the corner of his eye. As soon as they were out of earshot, Flambo muttered, "We can talk about payback later." Finn grinned. That was the Flambo he knew.

"Shh." The flambit stopped abruptly. "We're getting close." A golden doorway stood at the end of the corridor. "The central chamber is right through here."

Finn ran as quietly as could to the door and stared at the room beyond. It was huge- with obsidian walls and a high, domed ceiling. The velvet carpet lay atop a marble floor, continuing to go straight until it ended in the center of the room, where a simple lapis lazuli throne sat. Several smaller doors branched into other corridors and chambers. Black lamps hung from the ceiling, giving the room an eerie feeling. A large metal cage hung near the throne. And sitting in it, with her head in her hands, was Flame Princess.

Finn gasped. "Flame Princess! Are you okay?"

"What?" her eyes darted across the room until they met his. "Finn!" She stood, gripping the metal bars.

"And Flambo!" the flambit added.

"I'm coming, Flame Princess!" Finn ran towards the cage.

"No! Finn, you have to listen to me! Don't come any closer!"

Something flew into the corner of Finn's vision. It hit him square in the back, knocking him to the polished, marble floor. Finn struggled to get up but failed, realizing that he was held to the floor by something heavy. Flambo howled. "They got me Finn! They got me!"

"Oh, no! Flambo, are you hurt?"

"Nah. I'm in a cage."

"Flambo!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid I must," a silky voice interrupted. A… thing floated into the room, and Finn couldn't help but think that the Fire Lord was the _ugliest _thing he had ever seen. His body was large, cylindrical, and red. Deer's hooves replaced his feet at the bottom of his fat, purple legs. At the end of each of his flabby arms was a skeleton's hand, which seemed to be perpetually on fire. Crimson and violet striped horns curled from his head, which didn't seem to be separated from his body at all. His face was like that of a skeleton's, with glowing red eyes surrounded by yellow and a grotesque mouth that was upturned in a sneer.

"Welcome, Finn the Human. And I must say that you're a sorry excuse for the Flame Prince. To think that the great Flame Princess would love such an urchin…"

"At least I'm not a sorry excuse for a Fire Lord!" Finn shouted.

The Fire Lord laughed, then stopped abruptly and coldly. "Bring in the machine."

Two flambits entered the chamber from one of the doorways, carrying a device on their backs. It looked like a metal helmet, complete with electrodes and a set of vicious-looking spikes all along the top. The Fire Lord grinned and took it gingerly from the flambits, cradling it in his arms from underneath, as if it was a newborn baby. "Get out of my sight," he said. The flambits hurried out of the room and through the same doorway they entered in, eyes widened in fright. Finn felt bad for them.

"Do you know the power of thoughts, Finn the Human? A thought can define our very being. It can change the way we act… it can change the way others act. But most of all, thoughts give you power. Ideas grow into actions. So I present to you my beloved Thought Machine, my weapon in achieving total dominion of this realm. You see, the Thought Machine absorbs the power of thoughts until all that's left is an empty husk! Brilliant, isn't it?"

"Brilliant, my foot," Finn muttered.

"I plan to absorb the thoughts of these people and then transfer that power into my elemental matrix." The Fire Lord smiled wickedly. "And then, I will be powerful enough to overthrow the Flame King and rule this kingdom!"

"Heretic!" Flame Princess yelled. "I'll have you condemned of treason, you dirty-"

"But you won't, my lovely. By the time I'm done here, you'll obey my every wish. You'll aid me in my quest for the throne!"

"Never!" she hissed. "Don't let him win, Finn! You can't let him win!"

"Ah, so that's what you believe. What do you think, Finn the Human?"

"Believe this!" Finn yelled, and farted loudly.

"Dude… nice!" Flambo said.

"Enough of this idle chatter." The Fire Lord floated toward Finn, gently tapping a spike on the Thought Machine with his skeletal finger. "In case you get any ideas of taking it off."

He placed the machine on Finn's head, tying it securely under his chin. His fiery fingers brushed Finn's cheek as he fitted the electrodes to the hero's temples.

"Oh, and Finn?" he whispered.

"What, you lunatic?" Finn snarled.

"Say hi to Death for me."

And the world went black.

_Don't think, Finn. Don't think. He can't win! _ But he could already feel the Thought Machine starting to work. Humming loudly, the electrodes sent a pulse through his head that made his teeth chatter. He felt like there was a leech on his head, trying to suck out his brains. Finn struggled, resisting the pull. But the leech broke into his mind. Thoughts of Jake, his home, his friends… everything swirled around him. He tried desperately to grab one of those memories and cling to it, but the leech ripped it from his grasp, leaving only emptiness.

It was like trying to stay still in the middle of a stormy ocean. Invisible monsters battered him from all directions, laughing and stealing his dreams as they howled in delight. Finn yelled and tried to fight them off. And then Jake was there, standing in front of him. "Jake!" Finn ran to him, but Jake stretched and changed just as Finn reached him, growing taller and…pink. Princess Bubblegum stood in his place.

"You see, Finn? I was right!" she shrieked, reaching for him with long, pink fingers. "I was right! You are my Candy King!"

"No!" he yelled, stumbling backward. But Bubblegum froze and began to laugh. She screeched hysterically, while the voices of Finn's friends chanted _Candy King, Candy King, all hail the Candy King! _

Finn turned to run and fell straight down, screaming and reaching for something to grab onto. With a thump, he landed on something soft. Lady Rainacorn, Jake's girlfriend, was underneath him. She yelled something at him in Korean, and Finn sat up. He was in the treehouse. "Finn? Finn, what are you doing?" someone else shouted. Jake ran up and pointed a finger at Finn. "What are you doing in my house?"

"But this is _our _house!" Finn replied angrily.

"Finn, me and Lady live here now. And you're trespassing." Jake wrapped his arms around Finn and carried him toward the window.

"No!"

Jake threw Finn with unnatural strength. Glass shattered around him, and Finn tumbled to a halt. Flambo was standing in front of him, stirring a large pot of stew. "Perfect," he muttered, and walked right past Finn. Flambo scooped up the broken glass in his tiny arms and dumped it into the stew.

"Flambo? Flambo, it's me, Finn!" he shouted, but Flambo didn't see him. The flambit just hummed and stirred the stew. All of a sudden, Finn was floating upside-down above the pot. "Help! Flambo, help me!" Finn fell screaming into the scalding liquid.

He was lying on a cold floor. The Ice King stood at a distance, past a series of metal bars. "What? Where am I?" Finn asked.

The Ice King turned and grinned through his monstrous, white beard. "Don't ya know, Finn? You're the bad guy now!"

It was true; Finn was in a dungeon. He curled into a ball as his energy continued to decrease. The leech was eating its way into his soul now- Finn felt his life fading. His breath slowed. Finn knew that he was going to die. He only wished that he could tell Flame Princess how much he loved her, one last time…

'_Flame Princess!' he shouted, even as the oxygen decreased._

_She was a shade of blue instead of her normal, brilliant orange. It scared him._

'_Please, say something!' He crawled toward her. Finn held her head in his arms._

'_I need you… to be okay.' Their lips met and Finn blew the last of his air into her lungs, passing out and sliding onto her lap as her fire rekindled._

He felt the Thought Machine absorbing his last bit of life…

Finn remembered Flame Princess's smile…

And the machine stopped.

That was it! Finn bombarded the machine with thoughts of Flame Princess. He showed it what it was like to go hang out with her every day, and what it was like to have Jake tease him about it. Flames danced in front of his eyes. His memories of Flame Princess burned brightly, shielding him from the leech. Finn threw all the remembered about Flame Princess at the machine. There was the way that her hair flared when she got mad, and there was the jewel that was set on her forehead. He remembered the first time he had seen her on the roof on the treehouse, and how he had caught her and pulled her inside. Finn saw the time when he shed a tear and stopped her from destroying a village. He remembered all of it. But most of all, he remembered that kiss where he had gotten burned so horrifically and how badly he had wanted to kiss her in the first place.

The Thought Machine was heating up, unable to process all of the images. He imagined Flame Princess in her cage and his anger at the Fire Lord. And he saw Flame Princess in the future, dressed in a brilliant white gown. Finn was wearing a tuxedo. Guests danced happily around them, and Finn held her hands in his as his eyes welled up with tears.

Finn wasn't going to miss that. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

And he opened his eyes.


	5. Fire Tongue

_This chapter's song is Lullaby by Nickelback. Enjoy, and watch for Eyes of the Lich, coming out soon!_

The explosion nearly deafened him. It was like someone had strapped a bomb to his head and lit the fuse. Metal screeched and hissed as gears shot out in all directions and _clanked _as they hit the ground. Acrid smoke forced its way into Finn's lungs, causing him to choke. The strap under his neck snapped, and the Thought Machine tumbled off of his head and impaled itself in the floor.

Everyone was staring at him in awe. Flame Princess had obviously been crying, but she met Finn's eyes and cheered triumphantly, pumping a fist in the air. The Fire Lord was moving his lips noiselessly, gesturing wildly with his flaming hands. "Yeah, that's my boy!" Flambo shouted. "Knew it. Yep." The Fire Lord sputtered, motioning to Flame Princess, Finn, and back to Flame Princess. Just then, the wrecked Thought Machine hummed with energy. A powerful pulse of electricity shot out, making Finn's hair stand on edge. The heavy thing pinning his arms to his sides sizzled and clicked, and Finn pulled his hands free, rubbing them gratefully.

"M-my electromagnetic handcuffs! They unlatched!" the Fire Lord whined.

"Oh, Fire Lord?" Finn climbed shakily to his feet and retrieved his sword from the floor next to him. "I couldn't say hi to Death for you. He wasn't available. But it looks like he might have an opening real soon."

The Fire Lord's eyes widened in fear. "No! No!" He floated backward. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I don't? Coming from the guy that just kidnapped my girlfriend?" Finn had to keep himself from grinning at the word girlfriend. "Yeah… that means nothing."

The Fire Lord shot several bolts of flame from his hands, but they bounced harmlessly off Finn's Fire Shield. Apparently the dingus didn't have any weapons other than his magic and the Thought Machine, because he continued to float away from Finn. Pointing his sword at the villain, Finn charged. "Guards! Guards!" the Fire Lord screamed. "Intruders! Kill them all!" He bumped into his lapis lazuli throne just as Finn reached him. The hero swung his sword…

And punched the Fire Lord in the face with his other hand. The villain crumpled to the floor. "Take that, you dishrag." Finn murmured.

"Finn! We have to get out of here!" Flame Princess shouted. "The guards are on their way here to kill us. I didn't think they'd harm their own Princess, but they seemed to have no trouble imprisoning me. The Fire Lord must've used some sort of mind-control magic on them. They'll kill me as easily as any other intruder," she said bitterly.

"How do I free you? Can I break the lock with my sword?" Finn asked.

"There's a key in his front pocket. Hurry!"

Finn reached into the unconscious Fire Lord's pocket and grimaced. There was something _wet _in there! Seeing as the Fire Lord was a Fire Elemental, he had no idea how that would work. Finn's fingers closed around the key, and he decided it was better not to see what the other thing was. He ran to Flame Princess's cage and fumbled with the lock for a few seconds before the door popped open. Flame Princess jumped out and enveloped him in a hug, and he flinched before realizing that it didn't hurt. Flambo's Fire Shield made sure of that.

And speaking of Flambo, the little flambit was getting quite impatient. "Hey! This is sweet and all, but I for ones want to avoid imminent death!"

"R-right," Finn stammered, stepping away from Flame Princess but not breaking her gaze. "Can you help me with something? I have an idea."

The two dragged a surprisingly heavy Fire Lord away from the throne and shoved him awkwardly into Flame Princess's cage. "That usurper! Shouldn't even have a throne in the first place, the turd," Flame Princess ranted. Finn smiled. The Flame Princess that he knew was back.

He turned the key in the lock and placed it in his shoe. "Now let's blow this popsicle stand!" he shouted. Finn and Flame Princess ran toward the golden door, Finn grabbing Flambo's cage as they burst into the hallway.

"I think I remember how to get out," Finn said.

"Good, 'cause we've got company!" Flambo shouted. Seven-foot tall, black clad guards emerged from an adjoining passageway. And at the front of the group was…

"Clarence," Flambo muttered. "It _had _to be Clarence!"

"Halt!" Clarence's eyes narrowed. "What? Wait, you're that flambit with the human slave!"

"Oh really?" Flame Princess asked.

"Later," Finn answered.

"Well, well, it looks like the Fire Lord didn't have use for you!" Clarence said smugly. "But I can kill you now, human. This time, no one will stand in my way."

"Finn, close your eyes and get ready to run," Flame Princess whispered, slipping her hand into his. She pointed a finger at the guards and yelled, "Rasshak!" Blinding white light flashed, searing Finn's eyeballs even through his tightly closed eyelids. He Flame Princess's hand and sprinted forward, bumping forcefully into a guard as he passed the group.

"Argh, after them!" Clarence howled. Finn tried to open his eyes, but his vision was purple and blurry. He stumbled behind Flame Princess, trusting her completely as they ran through the labyrinth of corridors. "Ah, man oh man! I could've gone without the whole blinding thing," Flambo complained loudly.

"I'm sorry Flambo, but it needed to be done. The spell should wear off soon," Flame Princess assured. She gasped. "We're almost out! I can see the door!"

Finn blinked. His eyesight was returning to normal, so that meant… "The guards. They're coming! Hurry, we need to get out into the square!" he shouted.

Finn and Flame Princess burst into the open and leapt down the stairs, tumbling to a stop on the ground. Fire Kingdom citizens stared at the pair, astonished. "It's the Flame Princess! She's with the blue stranger!" Whispers traveled through the crowd like wildfire, and a crowd began to gather around them. Finn jumped to his feet.

"Come on, Finn, we need to go!" Flame Princess said urgently.

But it was too late.

The guards poured out of the opening, marching angrily down the stairs. Many of them still rubbed their eyes. They spread out as they reached the ground, forming a nearly complete circle around Finn, Flame Princess, and the still-caged Flambo. Clarence was the last of them to appear, and he walked calmly toward the hero as the guards closed the gap behind him. "Crap," Finn muttered.

"Draw your sword, human. We duel to the death," Clarence announced, holding his staff out in front of him. Finn watched as the tip retreated into the shaft and a wickedly sharp, metal axe blade emerged in its place. Much to Finn's luck, it was still on fire.

"Can you do any more magic? You know, like before?" he pleaded with Flame Princess. But he knew the answer as soon as he saw her, and his face fell. Flame Princess was still lying on the ground, and Finn finally realized how much the magic had drained her. Her eyes didn't sparkle in the way that they usually did, and her skin lacked its normal fiery luster.

"I'm sorry, Finn."

"No, it's okay," he whispered, kneeling to meet her eyes. "You tried your best." He handed her Flambo's cage and glanced over his shoulder at Clarence, who slammed his weapon against the ground impatiently. "Flame Princess…I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered.

"Clarence!" Finn yelled, raising his sword. "I accept your challenge!"

"Then come human, and meet your doom."

Finn and Clarence stared at each other, eyes locked, each trying to find the other's weakness. The crowd was shouting and pushing against the guards, but the circle was impenetrable. Finn's expression hardened. He felt his sword as if it was one with his arm, and power coursed through his veins. Finn turned his head and smiled at Flame Princess. Then, he yelled and charged.

Clarence was good with a polearm. He was faster than what Finn thought was possible, blocking Finn's slashes and returning with a jab that Finn would have to duck and roll to avoid. The guard also had the advantage of height, so his attacks were more powerful than anything Finn would manage to pull off. Finn found himself forced to play defense more and more, until it was all he could do to prevent Clarence from slicing him into a million pieces. Clarence seemed to realize this, because his slashes came more confidently and quickly.

Finn felt like he was back on that hill in the Grasslands on the way to Flame Princess's house, fighting the invisible monsters. But this time the monster was Clarence, and he was worse than any beast that Finn could've ever imagined. He lost his balance and stumbled forward, and was rewarded with a cut to his right cheek and another to his thigh. "You give up, _boy?" _the guard sneered, swinging the polearm at Finn's knees and forcing him to jump.

"Never!" Finn snarled, bringing his sword down and slicing a black candle off Clarence's helmet. Clarence appeared surprised, but he quickly recovered and changed tactics.

"I know you, _Finn the Human. _I remember, hmm… thirteen years ago? Yes, that was it. In the center of the forest was a baby, abandoned and alone. Why wasn't anyone there to take care of you? I know. Clarence always remembers."

The guard feinted an attack to Finn's head, then rammed an elbow into his stomach, sending him flying backward. Finn landed forcefully on his back, his sword slipping out of his grasp and skidding across the ground. He struggled to breathe as Clarence advanced, raising his polearm.

"Farewell, human. Die as your parents did." The silver blade twinkled, rushing downward toward Finn's heart…

And a knife buried itself in Clarence's chest.

He looked down at it, confused. Clarence fingered the handle of the weapon and laughed nervously, then fell backward, hitting the ground hard. The candles on his helmet extinguished and his scarlet eyes went dark.

Standing at the edge of the crowd with an arm outstretched, a torn labcoat, and a wild glint in her eyes was Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum.

"Finn, you idiot!" she shouted, running forward and hugging him. "You stupid, stupid boy! What were you thinking?! Oh, you're bleeding." She pulled a bandage from her front pocket and pulled his hat off, then proceeded to wrap his forehead. "And your thigh too? Do me a favor, and the next time you run off to who knows where on your own, _don't _get involved in duels to the death!"

"Princess? Did you- what?" Finn asked as she bandaged his leg.

The guards blinked several times, like they had just woken up, then advanced toward Flame Princess.

"No! Stop!" Finn yelled, but the guards didn't attack Flame Princess. Instead, they talked with her in a language Finn didn't understand, gesturing to Clarence's body and to the Fire Lord's palace.

"Finn… The Fire Lord wasn't controlling these guys. It was Clarence all along!" Flame Princess announced. "Clarence probably agreed to help the Fire Lord take over, but only so he could betray him and gain the throne for himself!"

"Oh." '_Now die as your parents did!' _Clarence's final words rang in Finn's ears. What did Clarence know about his parents? He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"Wait, what is this about the Fire Lord?" Princess Bubblegum huffed.

Finn explained his whole adventure to her, and to his relief her anger seemed to have dispersed a little by the time he had finished. "Oh… so that's why you left the treehouse. Peppermint Butler told me that you had left, and taken your sword with you. We saw that you had eaten the omelet and knew that you couldn't be trying to kill yourself if you took the time to eat beforehand, but we were still worried. Now I see why you couldn't tell Peppermint Butler where you were going. Still, it was a pretty glob stupid thing to do."

Finn smiled. "I'm all about stupid, remember?"

Princess Bubblegum turned and addressed Flame Princess. "Are you okay, Flame Princess?"

"Yeah. Fine," she replied curtly.

"Well, I'm sure that your father will learn about this incident from the citizens that were present. I had better go make sure he hears the correct story." Princess Bubblegum stood and brushed herself off.

"Yo, Princess!" Flambo shouted. "Take me with yous! I want to be there when the king thanks me for my heroic deeds!"

Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes. "Of course, dear Flambo." She gently took Flambo's cage from Flame Princess and balanced it on her shoulder.

Finn glanced at Clarence's body. "Throwing knives?"

Bubblegum grinned mischievously. "You don't know everything about me." And she walked off.

Finn met Flame Princess's eyes and knew that they were both thinking the same thing. He held out his hand and she took it, grinning. They ran through the city together, zigzagging across the streets, ignoring people's confused stares and muttered questions. And before they knew it, they had exited the city through the main gates. "Come on, over here!" Finn exclaimed, leading her out of sight of the city. They rolled down a hill and sat at the bottom, laughing.

Flame Princess burned brightly, and although she was weaker due to the magic she had performed earlier, she was still just as beautiful as ever. Her joyful expression quickly grew serious. "Finn, about what happened to you…"

"Flame Princess! Let me get this straight." He took a deep breath. "It wasmy fault. You should not blame yourself."

"I just… it's hard, Finn. Sometimes I wish I could be normal."

"I know."

They watched the setting sun in silence. Finn sighed. "I've been wondering… How did the Fire Lord capture you?" he asked gently. Finn knew that Flame Princess was one of the most powerful beings in Ooo, and to contain her would be quite the feat.

"I was in his library," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The Fire Lord is renowned for having the most extensive library about Fire Elementals in Ooo. But he doesn't let anyone other than himself and his fancy noble friends access it. I could've sent a royal petition… but I didn't want my dad to know that I was here. So I snuck in."

"Why were you in his library?" Finn asked.

"I've heard legends about this particular book, and after what happened to you, I was determined to make it right. I knew if the book existed, it would be in the Fire Lord's library. Well… I found it. But the Fire Lord snuck up behind me and strapped the Thought Machine onto my head." She shivered. "You're so brave, Finn, fighting the machine. I was sure that you were going to die, all because of me. I was so scared."

"But I didn't." He smiled. "So there's nothing to worry about. But why was this book so important, Flame Princess? Why would you risk trespassing for it?"

She sighed. "It's from ancient times, way before the Great Mushroom War. The book talks about something called Fire Tongue. You see, every element has a secret language. If you know that language, you can control the element. It's supposed to be hard to learn and nearly impossible to master, but I thought I could learn to control my fire, so I wouldn't hurt people anymore. It would be wonderful, but what if I couldn't do it? What if I became worse?"

"I'd still defy the elements for you," Finn said, turning to face her.

"R-Really?" she asked.

"No matter what."

Flame Princess smiled. "Oh, Finn…" The sun was disappearing behind the horizon, painting the sky with blues, pinks, and oranges.

"I'm fireproof for another hour." Finn said. He leaned forward and their lips met. Flame Princess flinched, afraid that she would hurt him, but he didn't pull away. He wasn't in pain anymore. She relaxed and placed her arms around his neck. Finn laughed and held her cheek in his hand. For the first time, they were together without hurting each other. Flames danced around them, probably allowing people miles away to see where they were, but Finn didn't care. He just held Flame Princess tight, never wanting to let her go. This time, he didn't have to.

The swelling feeling in his chest grew until he felt ready to explode. His heart was on fire. Finn was finally, truly, totally happy.

After what seemed like forever, they pulled away from each other. Finn was grinning like a clown, and his cheeks must've been as red as a tomato. "Uh…"

"Heh hah? Yeah, I know." She giggled. "But you never told me what that means."

"Well…" his voice trailed off.

She put her hands on her hips. "What do we have here? It looks like Finn the Hero's at a loss for words!"

"Shush, you!"

She tackled him to the ground, laughing. Then, her expression grew serious as she cocked her head to one side, listening intently. "I gotta go. My dad's calling me."

"He… is?"

"Yes, matter of fact, he is." She stood. "See you tomorrow," she said. Flame Princess turned and shot off toward the Fire Kingdom, leaving a trail of burnt grass behind her. Finn climbed to the top of the hill and watched her disappear through the gates, pumping his fist in the air triumphantly. He couldn't believe it! She was going to stay with him! After all that had happened, she was still going to stay with him! Finn felt like dancing. He sat on the hill with his elbows on his knees and stared at the setting sun.

"Tomorrow," he whispered.


End file.
